How do you sing a dance of passion? The Song Company shows us how in Dances of Passion, a semi-staged production of music by Granados, Juliana Hall and Brahms, weaving together passion (not the Lenten kind), song, dance and drama.

Dances of Passion, The Song Company. Photograph © Peter Hislop

Principal artist, soprano Roberta Diamond, with ensemble artists mezzo-soprano Janine Harris, tenor Ethan Taylor and baritone Hayden Barrington are joined by Associate Artistic director Francis Greep at the piano and Artistic Director Antony Pitts as non-singing actor and pianist, in a production directed by Robert Macfarlane, performed to a comfortingly full house.

Greep’s introduction set the context for the performance. Dances of Passion has been curated for the developing voices of the ensemble giving them the opportunity to sing in different languages, styles, in solo and ensemble and to explore the words and emotions beyond the music.

We hear nine of Enrique Granados’ nostalgic Tonadillas en estilo antiguo (Ballad tunes of Castille in the ancient style), a throwback to the early 19th century and sung in Spanish. They are inspired by the paintings of Goya. Essentially theatre songs, brief and accompanied by small forces, they...